Grundfos pumps for new Cairo Cathedral

Grundfos pumps for new Cairo Cathedral

Grundfos Egypt has supplied nine high-powered horizontal pumps for the Middle East’s biggest church – a stunning new Coptic cathedral constructed on a 15-acre site in the heart of the country’s new US$ 45 billion administration capital.

Supplied to contractor Jobco Contracting via local Grundfos Authorized Distributor, MISC, the nine HS horizontal pumps will power air conditioning systems throughout the new ‘Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ’, a 7500 square metre building, capable of accommodating up to 8,200 worshippers, and topped by a 60-metre high ‘lighthouse’ and beacon.

Powered by Siemens’ IE3 engines, one of the most powerful engines available on the European market, the Grundfos pumps have a capacity of 30kW and efficiency level of 93.6%, helping to minimize operational costs for the building. Special removeable top casings enable pump components to be accessed without having to disturb the engine and associated pipework, cutting down time and maintenance costs.

Given the nature and importance of the administrative capital project, and the very tight timescales imposed throughout, Grundfos Egypt, a leading specialist in water solutions, arranged for the pumps to be manufactured and supplied at short notice from one of the group’s European plants in Hungary, allowing services installation to proceed quickly and efficiently.

Emad Shafir, an engineer at Grundfos Egypt, who has been working closely with the architects and contractors, said the high-powered pumps used on the cathedral building are of a type widely used on major commercial, water utility and industrial projects because of their reliability, low operating costs and efficiency. “Grundfos has already supplied many similar pumps for projects throughout Egypt and particularly for the new capital project”, he said. “Our technical team is continuing to work on other water and drainage systems throughout the new cathedral building.”

Under construction in the desert 45km to the east of Cairo, the new administration capital will eventually house an estimated 7 million people, helping to reduce overcrowding in the city, and will provide a new base for Egypt’s government and financial institutions. The cathedral, or ‘People’s Church’ is located close to the complex’s central park and will provide a focal point for the new community.

The building was inaugurated by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, on 7th January.